Session: “How to sell retrospectives? How to market retrospectives?” Monday 4.35-6.00 PM

How do we market retrospectives? As a ritual we use to bring people together to learn from each other.

How do we sell retrospectives? The short story is; we do not sell retrospectives, we ask about their problems, and sometimes the solution is retrospectives.

One observation was that we cannot sell retrospectives, we can sell people, that are famous. But the discussion took the turn, that we need to find the problems, and find out if a retrospective is a solution. You might be able to convince a few developers that this is great, but they make no decisions on the money part. You have to find the person with the money, and ask him, what their problems are, or maybe even just how the last project went. You can get to that person, by making the developers point you to him. Retrospectives can come as part of a solution, but you are not selling a retrospective, you are selling an improvement or a solution. It is important that people themselves are committed to solving the problem, and then empower the community to solve the problem themselves with help from a facilitator.

Another way is to get the sales team to sell your retrospectives, but that demands that the sales team is as enthusiastic as you are around retrospectives. Sales bits: “We can use retrospectives to blend different cultures”, “When the retrospective is done, I am available to help you get the most out of this”, “I would like someone to sit in and learn how to do this, so that you do not need me in the future”

“Remember, when you are selling retrospectives this way, you are not a salesperson, you are a savior” - Norm Kerth

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